'In the first half their number 12 kicked him. His foul was the same,' says coach Lai
Hong Kong took a handy advantage away from the first leg of the annual encounter with Guangdong, beating their neighbours 2-0 in the Provincial Stadium yesterday.
Despite the loss of teenage striker Chan Siu-ki - red-carded after an hour (the centre-piece of a one-sided refereeing performance that is almost as traditional as the fixture itself) - Hong Kong were still comfortable winners thanks to first-half goals from Au Wai-lun and Law Chun-bong.
'It's a very good result. I'd guessed it would be 2-0 before the match,' said Hong Kong coach Kenny Lai Sun-cheung. 'They are a very young team with good speed, but we showed our experience.'
The SAR's goals came within four minutes of each other, during the one spell where Hong Kong truly hit their stride. The first in the 16th minute was created by an audacious Cheung Sai-ho flick, which gave Chan time to cross from the left into the path of Au, who converted at the near post.
The second was more direct. In fact, the second was as direct as a goal can be. Straight from the boot of goalkeeper Xiao Guoji into the path of Law Chun-bong, who hared in behind the Guangdong defence to hit the roof of the net.
However the tie, against a side comprised mainly of Guangdong's under-21 team, who are preparing for this year's National Games, might be most useful for the lesson learned by 19-year-old striker Chan. He was sent off for a foolish foul on Guangdong captain Wu Weian on the far touchline; foolish but no worse than a malicious kick aimed at the Kitchee teenager in the first half by Lu Lin that earned a belated and reluctant yellow card from referee He Zhibiao.